Register Online for Alberta Beginner Beekeeper Courses

Easy online registration is now open for the honeybee courses you need in 2019, whether to apply for a City of Edmonton beekeeper permit or to get started in beekeeping elsewhere in Alberta.

Dates and locations are listed on the Hiveworld.ca website, under the Learn tab on the homepage. The first course for City of Edmonton enthusiasts is January 5, so now’s a good time to register if this one’s for you.

You will see several additional dates through 2019 for the two-day courses tailored to City of Edmonton bylaw requirements. These sessions result in a certificate that will allow you to apply for a City permit for one hive and a nuc. The City is showing great leadership in encouraging backyard beekeeping, and we’re proud to work alongside them in developing the knowledge and comfort level of the beginner. One important thing to note - Edmonton absolutely prohibits the sale of any product derived from the backyard beekeeping program.

Edmonton also expects you to show that you have followed up with some hands-on experience at a working beeyard, because as we all know book-learnin’ is fine until you have to actually put your hands in a hive with 60,000 buzzing occupants. Hiveworld.ca has such a beeyard at Country Roads Greenhouse just south of Sherwood Park, where weekly no-charge Meet the Beekeeper nights will be held starting in April. These will provide a great opportunity to try your hand at some hive management activities, listen to useful presentations, chat with knowledgeable beekeepers, and even bring in a frame or a sample that is raising questions for you. Register for these sessions online also.

Beyond Edmonton, Hiveworld.ca’s instructors will lead one-day classes for beginners or those looking to refresh their knowledge in many small centres, from Cold Lake and Grande Prairie to Red Deer and Airdrie, and south to Lethbridge, plus many places in between. Where possible we will look to partner with a local beeyard that will help augment the classroom session with some practical experience and advice.

The bees are not hibernating, and neither should the beekeeper! Now (before Christmas!) is the time to order your spring bees, plan for some further education, research your desired hive equipment and location, and check out the gear you will need for a safe and productive season in 2019. Ask us if you have any questions!

We hope this information is useful to you, and welcome any comments you may have. You will find more information and all the equipment you need at Hiveworld.ca. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter and YouTube channels for all the latest news and tips.  

 We're an Alberta-based supplier of everything required for successful beekeeping on the prairies in Western Canada. Whether you are a beginning hobbyist, interested in supplementing your business revenue, or a commercial operator, we've got the courses, the bees, the supplies, and the knowledge you need.